The Light and the Darkness, Continued
by Sokai
Summary: /Senshi of Valis's story, continued/ As the reconstituted but emotionally broken Guardians and an amnesiac Sitara struggle to rebuild their shattered lives, they find themselves drawn back together and are forced to face a profound and immortal evil...
1. Chapter 2

**The Light and the Darkness**

**Chapter 2: Guardians Reunite?**

**Originally written by Senshi of Valis and 5hadow Lady**

**Based on Requiem for a Dream by Sokai**

_Note (from Sokai): MAN, it's been a seriously long while since I've written and posted anything on here! Seems like once you get married, everything just starts to go. LoL j/k But, ANYWAY! As we all know (or should, maybe, those who may have seen it on here by now after all these years), 'The Light and the Darkness' was originally started and posted by Senshi of Valis, which she'd apparently began writing with her friend, 5hadow Lady. However, well before this time and it had been posted, Mel (Senshi of Valis) had been extremely awesome enough to share with me the whole of said story, including play by play outlines for each chapter intended to be featured, in addition to the overall plot._

_And I, of course, was super thrilled, not just because this was (at the time, at least), one of the first spinoff sequels for my 'Requiem for a Dream' story, but because the plot was something I'd found rather intriguing and a pretty good tie-in to what I had created within the 'original timeline,' etc._

_It's just sad, however, the story and its original storytellers have since seemed to vanish within the last four years, and thus the rest of you never got the chance to see it all play out. But after recently finding the sent outline and such on my computer the other day, I'd decided to finish it for Mel, as it's a story which definitely deserves to be seen, in my opinion. =)_

_And so, please remember that this entire spinoff sequel is not MY idea at all, but instead that of Senshi of Valis and apparently 5hadow Lady, as well; I am merely the vehicle for its eventual production. So, yeah, everything read from here on out is all theirs. LoL_

_Also, if anyone wants to read the first two chapters to this story, you'll have to check out Senshi of Valis's profile and find it there, as I'M only posting the follow-ups and onward._

_So! Without further adieu, I present to you all, their spinoff tale (to MY original tale, so no, it isn't theft, since I'd given them permission to do all this in the first place LoL)!_

_

* * *

_"Well, I'm about to turn the corner now, Hay Lin. . . . Yeah . . . yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes. All right, see you then," a rather fatigued Cornelia Hale spoke in parting over her cell phone to her tentatively returned petite friend, before hurriedly hanging up the moment she'd caught sight of a passing police car on her left.

The last thing the seventeen-year-old blonde needed was a ticket fine for using her cell phone while driving, and adding it to the fairly long list of finances she wasn't able to pay for on her meager, newfound college student salary.

But, at the very least, Cornelia didn't have to worry about car payments, as that was something her fairly doting father, Harold, adamantly insisted upon taking care of, upon having purchased and then surprised his eldest daughter with the fancy, white colored BMW as a high school graduation present the previous year . . . which, Cornelia secretly believed, had been a generous gesture primarily done as a way to rebuild the slightly faltered relationship between the two of them, than it had been a way to congratulate her upon her academic success.

Regardless, she wasn't about to complain against a bit of financial relief, no matter the true intent behind it.

After all, between occasionally running errands for her mother, Elizabeth Landon, managing as many shifts as possible at the daycare center where she currently worked, while also trying to keep her grades up by pulling all nighters, _and_ somehow able to spend as much time as possible with the rest of her family (especially her baby sister, ten-year-old Lillian, with whom she'd used to possess a greatly strained relationship, however now were well on their way to becoming closer than they ever had before) and friends, new and old alike, Cornelia was practically a walking zombie.

College life was proving to be pretty brutal, to say the least.

Still, no matter how much more difficult it would perhaps become later on down the road, Cornelia was nonetheless blessed for the opportunity to experience it in the first place, as nothing else thrown her way could ever compare to the eternally life-altering turmoil she had miraculously endured just a few years before. . . .

The two year anniversary had recently just passed that September, in fact, making it, like the previous September before it, a rather trying month to journey through for not just Cornelia, but for _Hay Lin_, as well, alongside their mutual companions, Taranee Cook and Irma Lair.

They were the former Guardians of the Veil, and the sole survivors and truth bearers to the overwhelmingly catastrophic and near-fatal devastation to their planet of Earth. . . .

It was sometimes hard to believe, for them each, that it was already two years since their greatest battle as Candracar's magically endowed warriors, as the event was still so fresh within their minds.

The never-ending struggle.

The searing, unbearable pain.

The terrible, and unforgettable _loss_. . . .

It was the cost which had quite possibly hurt the most for the girls, out of everything they had experienced during that frightening, fateful night.

They had lost their once dearest friend and greatest ally, Will Vandom, and with her, the remainder of their innocence in addition to a part of their souls. . . .

The caring, sometimes sensitive redhead had been the girls' leader, and the glue which had always held the five of them together, both as Guardians, as well as best friends . . . up until the time when Cornelia had moved away into downtown Heatherfield with her mother, following an amicable divorce between her parents, that is.

This was something Cornelia secretly carried within her to this very day, an occasional, curious flurry of 'what ifs' and guilt appropriately attached. What if she could have somehow prevented the befalling of her parents' marriage, and thus never having had to move away from her friends at all? And then, in turn, their bond would have never become severed, and, when the time had inevitably come, they each would have quite possibly been strong enough to properly defend themselves, _and_ save Will's life. . . .

_But then, on the __other__ hand, if Mom and Dad hadn't divorced and I hadn't ended up moving with her, I never would have met . . . __her_, the slender, lengthy blonde tenderly thought to herself, after rounding the last corner that would lead her the rest of the way to Hay Lin's four-year-old, and family owned Chinese restaurant, the Silver Dragon.

Despite unanimously agreeing that repairing their rocky friendship, after everything they'd gone through, was greatly important, for Will, if not for themselves, and making slow, but fairly decent progress ever since, there was still one thing all of them refused to discuss in full _or_ be avidly open about.

Or rather, one _person_, of whom Cornelia admittedly yearned to talk with her returned friends about, however quietly complied in respect to their unspoken wishes.

After all, it was because of this one individual that they'd nearly lost their lives, and that Will had inevitably lost her _own_ . . . as well as the reason that the Earth was still slowly, but surely rejuvenating itself from the brink of sheer destruction, and the four of them were nonetheless feeling almost perpetually drained years later (which, in all honesty, was the primary reason Cornelia, at least, was always feeling ragged, despite her overwhelming responsibilities), as a result.

_Sitara Vandom_ . . . or, as Cornelia had originally known her to be known as when the pair had first met, 'Amandella Ember,' who had later turned out to be none other than Will's long lost twin sister. . . .

In spite of everything the blonde had gone through, admittedly all in thanks to the mysterious and magically forceful girl, there was nonetheless not a day which had gone by since that time when Cornelia didn't wish that she, too, were still alive.

That she could somehow be able to turn back the hands of time and save her, save _both_ sisters, and make it so none of it had ever happened. . . .

Cornelia could vaguely once recall the Oracle of Candracar (the omnipotent being who had bestowed the original quintet with their powers over the elements in the first place years ago) fleetingly informing each of them during one of their only visits to the celestial plane of existence, of how a Guardian's desires are especially fervent, to the point of quite possibly becoming a reality.

_But then, if that were so, I would have been able to fully heal this planet, bring back both Sitara __and__ Will, and so much more by now_, Cornelia silently lamented with a sorrowful sigh, feeling a light headache coming on just as she turned into the Silver Dragon's fairly packed parking lot.

After lazily pulling her car keys from the ignition, and collecting her purse from off of the front passenger seat next to her, Cornelia slowly climbed out of the warm vehicle and regrettably stepped into the uninviting embrace of the frigid winter atmosphere.

The winters since that fateful time had honestly felt a lot colder than the norm, parallel to the even more stifling and unbearable summers, and this returned wintry season didn't seem as though it would be any different within intensity than its predecessors.

But it wasn't the severity of the weather around that time of year, nor the coupled, natural seasonal depression which always seemed to bring the remaining quartet of former Guardians down, as a result.

No.

It was because, much like the month of September, the current month of _January_ was very emotionally debilitating, as well, for, in a matter of days, it would have been Will's eighteenth birthday. . . .

"Both Will's, and _Sitara's_. . . ." Cornelia forlornly murmured to herself before trailing off into a gentle whisper, wrapping her unprotected hands around herself for warmth as well as self comfort.

As she made her way across the parking lot, with her returned long and sunlit hair freely whipping about within the chilled air, the blue eyed teenager began to force herself to cheer up as best that she could, before entering the evidently crowded restaurant to meet her friends.

The memories of their shared ordeal, however admittedly as well as thankfully faint within some areas was difficult enough to live with; they didn't need a _visual_ reminder of their loss and pain from the eldest girl, as well.

And so, pulling the double wooden and window framed doors to the Lin family's establishment open, Cornelia exhaled sharply, before ineptly plastering a smile upon her fair countenance.

It had been with great timing that she had done so, as Hay Lin had just then passed by the entrance, a slightly dirty apron wrapped around her naturally svelte waist, coupled by an overall disheveled demeanor about her.

Cornelia would have been a bit more concerned by this, had it not been a weekend, which was usually when the raven haired girl would help out around her parents' restaurant (among her own busy college schedule), such as bussing a few tables or helping with the cooking within the kitchen.

However, that was how the talented Art major would always look during such times, which was a small price to pay for the admitted happiness it brought to her to be able to spend time with her family and lead a relatively normal life again.

The smile upon Cornelia's face instantly became much more genuine the moment her light blue eyes locked with Hay Lin's deep brown, and watched her generously return the gesture.

"Oh, Cornelia, you're here! That's great! _Taranee's_ been here for a little while now, and Irma just came in about five minutes before you did," the smallest as well as youngest of the quartet of friends ushered forth as she approached Cornelia, blindly wiping her apparently soiled hands upon the hem of her apron. "Do you know how much I _still_ can't believe how far those two have come? I mean, _before_ they could barely be in the same room with one another without wanting to verbally - Or even _physically_ -rip each other's throats out! But, _now_ look! You can leave them alone together in one place, and come back to find them still in one piece! _Anyway!_ Just head on to the back and I'll be there shortly, okay?"

Cornelia merely gave a simple nod and another broad smile in response, before watching the former Air Guardian head toward the busy kitchen, after carefully maneuvering around a couple of fellow staff members who had just then exited from the silvery double doors.

Giving a thoughtful sigh, the blonde tucked a lone strand of her long hair behind her right, chilled ear, before beginning her familiar trek toward the back of the restaurant, where she and her returned comrades routinely met every weekend for lunch.

Cornelia began to feel more and more wistful, as her mind wandered toward the individual changes the lot of them had made within the last few years.

Formerly near suicidal, and battling severe bouts of depression as well as borderline anorexia, Hay Lin has since been becoming more like the originally jovial and optimistic young woman her friends had always known her to be with each passing day . . . even _if_ majority of the time the great torment of her formerly private hell could still be captured within the girl's once resiliently alight brown eyes.

Of them all, Cornelia admittedly felt the most attached to Hay Lin now, as the girl's once strongly and emotionally unhinged self would greatly remind her of Sitara, and of how profoundly unglued she, too, had been. In fact, the two young women had been the blonde's primary motivation for wanting to major within Clinical Psychology, so that perhaps future individuals could be spared the affecting trauma that the pair had had to endure. . . .

_And so that I can do for all of my future patients what I wasn't able to do for Sitara as her friend. . . ._ Cornelia thought with yet another exhale, as she continued to walk through the decently packed Chinese restaurant. _But at least I'm trying to make up for that by rebuilding my relationships with each of the girls. And at least Hay Lin, herself, is trying, as well, what with her eating __much__ more and actually smiling again from time to time. It's just too bad that the same amount of effort cannot be said for everyone. . . ._

As though on cue, in the same moment that Cornelia's train of thought had reached the once Water and Fire Guardians, their familiar faces could then be seen within the approaching distance.

As per usual, during each weekend luncheon together, both Taranee and Irma sat within absolute silence, straight across from one another at the group's familiar booth, and making an active point to look at anything else within the restaurant but each other.

While such a sight might have concerned any other onlooker, both Cornelia and Hay Lin knew better, as Irma and Taranee's shattered friendship was the most delicate to reform.

Still, the two had quite honestly made great strides over the years, regardless, no longer resorting to name calling, or perfectly placed lowbrow comments for the sole purpose of hurting the other.

Perhaps their improved courtesy toward one another had less to do with their dual brush with death, as it might have between Cornelia and Hay Lin, and more so to do with Irma's long overdue decision to put her life back together.

No longer abusing various substances _or_ her own body, as well, the slender brunette, with the help and support of her stepmother, Anna, had willingly checked herself into a rehabilitation center the previous year as an inpatient.

Now, however, through her strongly evident perseverance and personal efforts to get better, Irma had just recently become an _outpatient_, still attending her regular meetings, with Family Therapy, as once fleetingly admitted by her, being the most beneficial.

After all, it wasn't a secret to anyone involved of how Irma's former life of disarray had been primarily brought on through the tragic loss of her father, Thomas.

However, after everything the aqua eyed girl had gone through and survived, both magical as well as social, it seemed to be (in Cornelia's observational opinion, anyhow) all the more important for her to fully recover, if for no one else but _his_ sake.

Seeing the tallest girl approaching their table, Irma was the first to immediately shift her attention onto Cornelia, and gave her, as she always would each weekend, a faint smile and brief nod of her now pixie cut styled head.

_Taranee_, on the other hand, barely offered a wave once she, too, had caught sight of the familiar girl. Cornelia did not ever take much offense to this, as she was by now used to the other raven locked girl's obvious choice in exuding the least amount of emotion, positive _or_ negative.

But it wasn't to say that the vast intellectual and Mathematics major hadn't changed at all from the former, self-imposed coarse sixteen-year-old she'd used to be. Unlike how she was now, Taranee had merely _acted_ so aloof and uncaring to a great majority around her during that time as a sheer defense mechanism, wishing only to dissuade or deflect any sort of ongoing notion that she was just as much of a pushover or as timid as she had always been growing up.

And while, technically, she was the least likely (even by comparison to _Irma,_ and the great strides she had made through the help of her therapy sessions during rehab) to readily open up about anything on her mind or within her personal, single life (as she had long since broken up with her steady boyfriend for many years, Nigel Ashcroft, fleetingly divulging that it had been primarily due to wanting to focus upon her schooling for now), Taranee had become far more supportive, understanding, and generally a bit more like her old self since that time.

Cornelia would sometimes wonder if the ebony haired teenager's choice in wanting to slowly, but surely reconnect with her old friends wasn't primarily out of guilt and shame over her past mistreatment and neglect of them.

She would _also_ occasionally wonder if Taranee's desire to take her bonding with everyone again at an even pace did not have to do with her no longer having the opportunity to do so with _Will_, as well. . . .

_Maybe losing her best friend before she'd gotten the chance to has made Taranee a bit afraid to get super close to the rest of us again . . . just in case any one of us. . . ._ Cornelia silently trailed off just in time, not wishing to carry on with the morbid and once all too real prospect.

Without realizing, she gave a slight shiver as a result, before taking a seat next to Taranee.

". . . . Has it gotten even colder outside, Cornelia?" the naturally chocolate eyed young woman softly ventured next to her within inquiry, lightly tugging at her loosely braided, shoulder length hair.

Nearly jumping from her place, Cornelia strained a faint smile, before swiftly nodding within response.

"U-Uh, yeah. Yeah, I guess so, Taranee," she lied within reply, slowly peeling off her white colored winter coat and scarf and let it sloppily rest behind her. "But then, you know how the weather is now. . . . _Speaking_ of, how have you been holding up, Irma?"

Irma, apparently not having expected the loose conversation to be turned onto her so abruptly, if at all, looked up from her simple glass of spring water in surprise (a beverage she partook in more than anything else nowadays, as perhaps the fear of becoming addicted to caffeinated drinks, even, was too great for her), and raised a slim eyebrow to further reflect this.

Pausing for a moment, she lightly cleared her throat, and then shrugged momentarily before speaking.

". . . . Well, I can't really say if it's getting worse _or_ better, to be honest. I mean, yeah, I guess I do still feel pretty wasted during this time of year especially - If you'll excuse the substance reference - from time to time, but then, in my case, it could always just mainly be due to all of the detox I've had to go through. Either way, though, at least I'm more properly _dressed_ for the occasion," the brunette ventured in light jest and gently clinging to the thick black turtle neck and warm jeans as she did so, making a knowing callback to the far more revealing and promiscuous clothing she'd used to wear before having gotten some help.

Even though the memories of her past misguided choices were still a rather sensitive subject for her (even with all of the overwhelming support given to her from her family, the rehabilitation center, and the girls), Irma seemed to personally prefer tactfully implementing her naturally comedic side into various conversation on occasion, perhaps as both a coping mechanism as well as a way to readily acknowledge the reality of it all.

Regardless of the true reason, Cornelia, Taranee, and Hay Lin, especially, would always make it a point to humor the girl at any time this was done. And so, without fail, the once Earth and Fire Guardians let out a brief chuckle, however faint, before Taranee surprisingly took over the reins of the ongoing and slightly awkward discussion.

"Maybe, Irma . . . but at least you're trying, and that's what's most important," she unexpectedly complimented the now visibly taken aback brunette, whose naturally tanned cheeks curiously grew a bit dark as a result. "And plus, with everything that's been going on, you've also somehow managed to fit in going back to school again, as well. How _are_ those classes over at Elpis Community College going? What major are you again, I'm sorry?"

Cornelia softly smiled to herself as she silently listened to the two formerly avid enemies gradually open up to one another a bit more (if only for the time being, at least), and Irma willingly divulged details of her recently recommenced academic career as an English major.

She was about to offer up a comment or two, herself, when the momentarily forgotten Hay Lin suddenly appeared from behind.

"Sorry for the delay, you guys! But you know how the weekends at this place can be," she offered in apology, smiling lightly at her trio of companions as she took off her dirtied apron before taking the remaining seat next to Irma.

The small ponytail of the petite young woman's pulled back hair gently tickled at her smooth neck as she did so, which caused Cornelia's own simper to widen once more in reminiscence.

It, at times, seemed like only yesterday when Hay Lin had greeted her with undeniably green tinted hair when the pair had met up again years before, that seeing her now, walking about and carrying on with her locks' natural hue of black would admittedly still catch Cornelia off guard.

_At least her choice in having medium length hair has stayed the same, though_, the blue eyed girl silently gave as an afterthought, before properly welcoming the younger girl to the table.

"Yeah, we all understand, Hay Lin. We were just waiting for you before hitting the buffet," Cornelia said casually, folding her slender, gradually unthawing hands together and onto the smooth table surface. "We only just started in on our weekly catching up conversation, actually, so you didn't miss much."

Hay Lin nodded in understanding, while neatly folding her apron and placed it onto her lap.

"Oh, well that's good, then. And speaking of, Cornelia, I don't know if I'd ever gotten the chance to say it before in all this time, but . . . I'm really glad that you and your mom moved back uptown in order for you to be closer to the rest of your family, after . . . _you_ know, everything that'd happened," she delicately announced, carefully searching each of her friend's faces as though to be certain that she hadn't just risked a great deal by openly bringing up the girls' tragedy.

It wasn't a topic any one of them frequently attempted to bring up within steady conversation each time they were all together, after all, and understandably so, even in spite of all mutual progress made and decision to heal together as one.

Perhaps it had been because Hay Lin, the most sensitive of the group by default, had been the one to bring it up, for not a one of the erstwhile Guardians of the Veil even gave a flinch in reflection.

Each girl merely sat and listened within understanding, before Cornelia, the one the comment had been directed toward in the first place, appropriately spoke up.

"Yeah . . . I know, Hay Lin . . . and I'm glad, too," she said with a crooked smile, hesitating a moment, before reaching across the table to lightly rest a cool hand upon one of Hay Lin's own. "Besides, just think of how much gas money I've saved in order to see all of you regularly . . . _and_ to get to eat your family's kickass chicken and broccoli platter whenever I want now, as well."

At this, the entire table grew silent for only a few short moments, before thankfully erupting into a chorus of appreciated, genuine laughter . . . an occurrence which was honestly few and far in between for the quartet, however was always unanimously appreciated, nonetheless.

After several more moments had passed, and being the first one to calm down, Taranee quietly asked, ". . . . Do you think she could have been as happy as we are after everything . . . or, at least, are _attempting_ to be, too?"

Cornelia was the first to let out a deep sigh upon hearing this, knowing full well to whom the still emotionally injured girl was referring, and that she would have been the most likely of the four to have done so, especially given the current month.

Opening her mouth to respond accordingly, Cornelia was surprised to find that Irma, of all people, had beaten her to it.

". . . . _I'd_ like to think so, yes, Taranee," the brunette began timidly, keeping her turquoise colored eyes downcast for a moment, before slowly raising them to meet with Taranee's own, which were surprisingly beginning to tear up. ". . . . If there's anything losing my dad, and then going through my A.A. and general rehabilitation process has taught me, it is to find hope and forgiveness again . . . not in just myself and the things I had done, but also within _him_. For so long I've _still_ been so angry with him for leaving me so soon, you know? But, now . . . now I've finally been able to let go of the pain, and am able to begin properly moving on with my life. I'll always miss him, and the loss will always stay with me, but . . . at least now I'm able to focus on the fact that he's no longer in any sort of pain, himself, and has moved on to a better place. And I'm sure the same can be said about _Will_. . . ."

Rendered positively mute for what felt like an eon, at best, Taranee (who, for the first time in a long time, at last let the tears of her ongoing anguish freely fall in front of her comrades) felt her own cheeks grow flush with mixed embarrassment and appreciation at Irma's surprisingly insightful and kind words, before she found her voice again.

". . . . I-I don't know what to say to that, Irma . . . except . . . thank you," she responded with a soft sniffle, reaching up to wipe away a stray teardrop from her smooth, caramel skin. "Most of the time I try to assure myself of this, as well . . . but I guess it just always gets harder around this time of year. . . . _All_ of us could have been here together, talking like this, while perhaps possibly planning a potential surprise birthday party for her . . . you know? About the only sort of consolation I can sometimes give myself is that, however Will had managed to . . . to defeat that sister of hers before . . . before succumbing, herself, it'd hopefully had been _just_ as painful. . . ."

Cornelia, who was just about to extend her left hand over the raven haired young woman's back to rub within soothing comfort, promptly stopped herself at this and instantly sucked in her breath.

She knew she should have been used to such comments by now, as none of them, not even through Irma's newfound forgiveness trek, Hay Lin's naturally default kindness, or Taranee's desire to be more understanding again, had ever once seen eye to eye with her about Sitara during the extremely rare instances she had first tried to talk about her in the beginning.

However, it was admittedly becoming more and more difficult to hold her tongue out of respect for her friends' feelings as she'd always chosen to, and all the _more_ challenging to mask her own from them.

Cornelia momentarily wondered if there wasn't something within the air which had curiously caused her to conduct her ruminations about the deceased, troubled girl earlier on in the day until now, because the next thing she realized, she'd found herself abruptly speaking out against her companion's unappreciated choice of words at long last.

"Now, _that_ isn't really fair to say, Taranee," she began a bit weakly in defense, fleetingly regretting having done so at all the moment she'd caught sight of each girl's indignant, and honestly hurt expressions. However, oddly feeling that now was as good a time as any for all of them to finally discuss their fractured viewpoints upon Will's estranged twin to its full extent, the blonde, with faint confidence, pressed on. "Well, _yeah_ . . . I mean, none of us can _vividly_ recall what had truly happened that night play by play anymore, right? Not _everything_, anyway . . . including what became of both Sitara _and_ Will. . . . So, who's to say that she had anything to do with Will's death, or that either of them _is_ dead in the first place?"

Irma was the first to react to the eldest girl's newfound claims, and while a light frown of blatant disapproval was etched upon her tanned visage, her following response hadn't been one of complete dismissal, at least.

". . . . But it's been _two years_, now, Cornelia. Don't you think that if either twin _were_ still alive, we would have heard something about it by now? Or, not to mention the fact that if Sitara, especially, were still alive, _we_ probably _wouldn't_ be?" she lightly reasoned, repeatedly tapping her right index finger against the tip of her plastic straw.

Before Cornelia could offer up any sort of rebuttal, Hay Lin, giving off a visibly strong shiver, nodded in agreement to her gradually returning best friend's words before offering up a few unionizing words of her own.

"I agree with Irma, Cornelia. . . . That is, it wasn't just _us_ who'd nearly died on that night, but the entire _planet_, itself," she started, her saffron hued face beginning to scrunch up within obvious discomfort over the current matter. "Those . . . those _powers_ of Sitara's were _that_ phenomenal and unstable that it nearly _obliterated_ the whole of existence. And with the four of us having a direct link to the elements of nature, _we'd_ ended up suffering the most because of it . . . although I'm sure _Will_ must have suffered the greatest of us all, having had the whole of our powers at once. . . . But, still . . . the planet _has_ greatly healed since then - For the most part, at least, and along with it, the four of _us_, if not entirely. That couldn't be at all possible if Sitara _were_ still around . . . because she'd surely want to finish what . . . what she'd started. . . ."

". . . . A-And we all know that if . . . Will had been allowed to survive, after all, she'd have been back within our lives by now," Taranee chimed in with a soft exhale and concluding air, peering sadly at the conflicted blonde next to her. "_Please_, Cornelia . . . each of us already knows how much you cared for Will's sister . . . but what we _don't_ know is _why_. She _murdered_ her family! And she'd turned on _you_, too, when all you wanted to do was help! _Tell_ me you don't remember _that_, at least?"

Feeling yet another headache beginning to formulate, this one rather large and already knifing away at her temples, Cornelia promptly raised her left middle finger and thumb against each and rubbed vigorously.

"Taranee, _you_ please, all right? _Yes_, I _can_ recall that fact, sadly . . . but I _also_ knew Sitara _a lot_ better than any of _you_ had . . . even more than _Will_, herself, had," she spoke lowly, her voice having lost its previous vigor as her fatigue from earlier seemed to regrettably find its way back to her. "And even though that time I _had_ gotten to know her was brief, I . . . I. . . . _Ugh_, just _look_, all right? I'm not trying to say that I'm excusing the things she had done or had _tried_ to do . . . but I _have_ taken Irma's route and have long since forgiven her for her actions. And whether or not she - _Or_ Will - is still alive by _some_ miracle, I'm sure she would appreciate that. . . . So, let's just . . . agree to _disagree_ upon this, all right?"

Even though she had been the one to bring up the overall conversation in the first place, with the intention of finally reaching a much more amicable resolve upon the matter, Cornelia _now_ only desired to simply _end_ the discussion.

It was clear to her now that no matter _what_ was said or how she personally felt about it, she was always going to be outnumbered by her fellow companions.

_If only they had gotten the opportunity to know you before everything had happened, Sitara. Maybe that could have made a huge difference . . . for __all__ of us_, Cornelia thought sullenly for a moment, as she watched her trio of friends each slowly nod in concurrence upon her previous words.

Although she still looked a bit shaken up and bothered by their former topic, Hay Lin managed to flash each girl surrounding her a small, but authentic smile before rising from her seat.

". . . . Well, what say we go get something to eat then, huh? A nice, warm meal and company with friends will do us _all_ some good, I think," she said with light hope shining forth within her otherwise misty brown eyes.

With yet another unanimous nod, the remaining young women each slid from out of their shared booth and uneasily began to make their way toward the buffet area of the Chinese restaurant.

Cornelia, trailing behind as she became more and more lost within her thoughts all over again, stopped a moment to gaze outside one of the establishment's heat clouded windows.

". . . . I hope that _wherever_ you've ended up in the end . . . you've found _peace_, Sitara," she solemnly whispered to herself, before resuming her walk toward her surviving friends to partake within another shared and bittersweet meal together.

**- End of Chapter 2 **

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(A.N. I'm fairly pleased with the overall execution of this chapter. That is, I feel I'd managed to convey and cover just about everything both Senshi of Valis and 5hadow Lady had intended to reveal within this chapter. At least, I hope I have. LoL I'M just mainly excited that their story is finally able to be shared with you all after so long. AND, I'd just realized, literally four years to the day that the story had first been published. It's a sign. LoL**

**Anyway! I hope all you Sitara fans enjoyed it, and even newcomers . . . although you should probably go check out my Requiem for a Dream story to understand this chapter a bit more, seeing as I'd purposefully didn't SUPER super cover every little detail of reasons why the girls are as they are now, etc.**

**And if the whole of you are confused as to why they're even alive and Will, instead, ISN'T, no worries, because Senshi of Valis and 5hadow Lady had all of that covered, too. I'm just reporting it. LoL)**


	2. Chapter 3

**The Light and the Darkness**

**Chapter 3: Life Begins Anew**

**Originally written by Senshi of Valis and 5hadow Lady**

**Based on Requiem for a Dream by Sokai**

_Note (from Sokai): It's nice to see those of who you'd read the previous chapter hadn't forgotten about Senshi of Valis and 5hadow Lady's first installments to this tale; thanks! Makes my job of finishing this a lot easier. LoL Anyway, not much else to say, except read on!_

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A lone, tall young woman by the name of Alexis Bunker, seemingly around her mid-twenties or so, leisurely made her routine commute to work, just as she would bright and early every weekday morning.

The bright, golden sun was rising higher and higher into the sky above her, and was thankfully unobstructed by any unsolicited clouds that day, providing the much needed warmth that the current winter was continually siphoning away.

Despite this, however, the dark chocolate haired woman still enjoyed taking the twelve minute walk from her townhouse to her hair salon, Blooming Locks, as she had done for the last four years she'd been in business.

The journey to and fro along the small, but fairly busy street had generally always proved to be quite eventful, in truth, creating a lot of notable memories for the biracial female.

She had witnessed two wedding proposals, one breakup, one political protest, and three parades during those years she'd been walking back and forth through that same street, with each incident never leaving her wanting in excitement.

All things considered, in fact, the naturally curly and long haired young woman lived within a pretty regular vicinity, Dirkenshale, Canada, where the people within the ville were quite friendly and helpful when need be, however majority of the time kept to themselves.

That particular fact actually worked well for the Canadian-born female in the long run, as it had been on that very same street where she had met her current roommate and employee of nearly two years, Lies Doyle.

At least, that was the name given to Alexis when she had queried the information from the weary looking teenager on that fateful evening. . . .

_Just having finally closed up her salon for the night, after yet another long, eventful day, Alexis had begun her familiar walk home as she always would, that time with considerable fear striking her heart._

_After all, it had been just a little over twenty-four hours prior when she'd honestly believed that the entire world was coming to an end._

_And Alexis hadn't been the only one to believe so, judging by the frightening news coverage and footage from various places all over the planet, showcasing the devastating natural disasters which had inexplicably occurred from out of nowhere that same day._

_Friends, family, and strangers alike had immediately rallied together in order to gather as many supplies as they could within evidently futile attempts to withstand the severe windstorm and mild earthquake their particular area had experienced._

_It had been when everything had seemed to be at its absolute worst, with all those around Alexis mournfully having commenced saying their final goodbyes to one another when everything had suddenly stopped . . . just as swiftly as it had all started._

_Alexis would never forget the eerie calm and bone chilling silence, as she and other fellow survivors of the catastrophic storm had cautiously emerged from the shelter they had all holed up within._

_The surrounding land had been absolutely ravaged, with several trees having been knocked over, as well as many parked vehicles and buildings destroyed . . . including her then fairly new salon, although miraculously only partially. _

_That had been a small price to pay to having still been alive, as far as Alexis had been concerned, having felt blessed that none of her loved ones had been lost during such a terrifying occurrence, and with only a few various injuries of fellow citizens to account for in the end._

_Still, the event had left the brown eyed young woman feeling understandably rattled and confused, much like the majority of her community, and feeling unable to simply stay at her then apartment and rest, she had spent that entire next day cleaning up the damage of her salon._

_Alexis had felt herself a changed woman from then on; __everyone__ who had made it out of the aftermath of that critical night alive had, she was quite sure. _

_And maybe it had been because of that that she had made the series of decisions the moment she had laid eyes upon Lies. . . ._

_Having noticed her, alone and bundled up upon the partially ruined wooden bench, just outside of the park erected right across the street from Alexis's hair salon, had immediately filled her with overwhelming concern._

_The girl hadn't looked to be no more than sixteen or seventeen, at best, with such a heartbreaking, sunken expression upon her naturally tanned countenance, intermingling with blatant fatigue that honestly made the light coconut skinned woman want to cry with sympathy._

_The area hadn't been anywhere near cleaned of its debris by that time, with just a mere day having passed, after all, and so the overall anxiety for the curious teenager's well being had been all the more great._

'_What on earth is she doing out here all alone this late, and after everything that had happened last night? It's still very unsafe out here,' Alexis had fleetingly thought with distress, before she'd hurriedly crossed the empty and moderately destroyed street._

_The sound of hurried footsteps had evidently startled the young teenager, as she'd promptly risen to her feet the moment her widened, rich brown eyes locked with Alexis's own from across the way, and began to collect the large purple duffel bag sat next to her upon the bench._

"_W-Wait! You don't have to be afraid! I-I'm not going to hurt you!" Alexis had quickly spoken, calling out to the white ski cap adorned girl, who'd nonetheless continued on with her swift escape. _

"_I'm __not__ afraid of you. I just don't want to be bothered," the mysterious girl had sharply assured within reply without missing a beat, quickening her pace while the older woman trailed behind._

"_A-All right, then. You're __not__ afraid, and __I__ wasn't trying to bother you! I-I just was wondering what is you're doing out so late, all alone, and especially in light of the mild devastation we'd encountered yesterday!" the taller female had breathlessly addressed, gripping onto her flailing purse a bit more tightly, before having sped up her pace to cut off the retreating stranger's path._

_Having stopped underneath one of the few still working streetlights within that area, Alexis had been able to get a much better view of the other girl's face, and was surprised to see that it'd looked as though she had been crying profusely, as both her visage and eyes were grotesquely red and puffy._

_In fact, the young teenager's overall appearance had seemed quite disheveled, as well, with her attire of a dark blue parka, black jeans and taupe colored hiking boots all covered with dirt and looked as though thrown on within a hurry._

'_Oh, God. I wonder what sort of trouble she's been through,' Alexis had wondered with mounting care, before the brown eyed girl had interrupted her thoughts with another guarded response._

"_Trust me . . . I'm more than well aware of the 'devastation that'd occurred yesterday. . . '." she'd said with distinct hollowness and a secretly knowing air, averting her wary, tired eyes away from the curly haired woman before her._

_At this, Alexis had let out a sharp gasp, as a sudden revelation had come to her._

"_O-Oh! Oh, no! You don't mean. . . .! T-That is . . . your family wasn't -" _

"_- That isn't any of your business, is it?" the unknown girl had abruptly cut the other woman off, immediately raising her eyes to peer at her with a slight defensive challenge shining forth from her gaze. "At any rate, I'm just passing through, so don't even worry about it."_

_Feeling a mixture of both a Good Samaritan, as well as maternal instinct then beginning to kick in, Alexis had proverbially put her foot down at that moment, absolutely refusing to let that poor girl go anywhere or leave her sight._

_After all, both she and the good majority of her community had been truly lucky to still be alive after what had happened the previous night; she wasn't about to karmically rescind such a gift by turning her back upon an individual blatantly within need, and especially not one so young._

"_Look, just wait a second, please, all right? It's clear you've been through a lot, and I'd really like to help you . . . so why not come stay the night at my apartment?" Alexis had begun tentatively, studying the other girl's expression to deduce her possible reception to the idea. "It's much, much warmer than continuing to stay outside within the park, after all. And I can fix you something nice to eat, too, if you'd like. . . ."_

_Having paused for a few moments to allow her proposition to sink in for the wandering teenager before her, Alexis smiled lightly before she'd added, "And I promise not to ask any more questions about your business, if that will make you feel better and trust me a bit more. Although . . . well, I __would__, at least, like to know your name, if that'd be all right with you. __My__ name is Alexis Bunker."_

_After what had honestly felt like ages to pass between the two young women, the guarded, ski cap wearing girl had at last responded with, ". . . . Lies. Lies Doyle . . . and I accept the offer . . . thank you. . . ."_

Before either female had known, that one night of housing had unexpectedly turned into weeks, which elapsed into months, and inevitably blossomed into the two year friendship and business association that it was today.

And true to her word, Alexis had never once asked any further questions about Lies's background and situation prior to their having met, and anything she currently _did_ know about the young woman had been willingly divulged over time, or picked up through honest observation.

For instance, Alexis had promptly discovered that Lies's hair color was a brilliant shade of red and bob length, the moment the two had stepped inside of Alexis's former apartment and the girl had at last taken off her white ski cap.

She had also learned, not long after their first night together, that Lies's eighteenth birthday had been approaching two weeks from that time, making her a Virgo, like herself, and a lot older than Alexis had originally suspected her of being.

Lies also had a penchant for chocolate spread over peanut butter, swimming, and animals, especially frogs. And although she tended to be more so on the quiet side, even having always given off such a strong air of sadness about her, Lies had always been quite helpful and friendly to those within their community whenever need be, however especially with Alexis and helping her run and maintain her hair salon.

For the most part, however, Lies continued to keep mostly to herself, having no real social contact except for Alexis, and even _their_ relationship still had far too many holes than the older woman cared for.

There were times when Alexis dearly wished to at last confront the redhead about her avidly veiled past, especially during the few occasions she would hear Lies faintly crying to herself within her bedroom, or lightly talking within her sleep and saying rather cryptic words here and there.

The dark haired woman had always wondered where her young friend had really come from, where her family was or what had become of them. She would also always wonder what it was about the months of September and January which would always make the girl _so_ forlorn and extra withdrawn each year, as well . . . especially given that the month of _September_, at least, was supposed to be a happy time, as her birthday would occur then.

All of these things would always secretly plague Alexis, yearning so much to learn more about her young friend, however respecting their friendship too much to ever venture an open inquiry in regards to anything.

Lies was honestly more so like the younger sister she never had, as Alexis was an only child, and felt very protective of and even responsible for her, which was why at any time anyone (which thankfully did not occur too often any longer) would have asked who Lies actually was and where she'd originally come from, Alexis would always provide some sort of cover story for the girl, despite wanting to know the full truth about her, herself.

Until the day she'd felt comfortable and perhaps even safe enough to reveal everything on her own, Alexis would simply continue to more or less blindly protect Lies and her well being, and be there for her in any way that she possibly could.

However wrong and honestly conflicting it perhaps was to do, she would carry on, nonetheless.

_Still . . . I __do__ always worry most about whether or not Lies isn't in any sort of trouble, __especially__ not legal_, the curly locked woman wondered in silence, at the same moment that she'd finally reached her hair salon. _It's certainly a miracle enough in and of itself that no one's honestly given much of a second thought about her living with me or suddenly popping up into my life, let alone any sort of authorities getting involved for whatever the reason. . . . I just hope that one day she'll trust me enough to tell me everything. . . ._

Unlocking the door and expecting to see the young woman in question, already there before her and busily setting things up for the new day as she generally would during each work day, Alexis found herself feeling rather taken aback to instead be faced by the unfamiliar sight of lone blonde standing near the cash register with her back turned to her.

"U-Um . . . can I help y . . . _Lies?_ Is that _you?"_ she warily inquired, before the once redhead, evidently turned blonde turned around in surprise, and her familiar face faintly smiled back at the older woman in greeting.

"O-Oh! Hey, Alexis, good morning," Lies began softly, moving away from the cash register and around the long counter it was perched upon. She then awkwardly reached up to gently pat at her newfound sunlit, curiously long and wavy locks. "Yeah, I'd actually just finished doing the last extension not too long ago, and was putting everything back in order when you came in. . . . Don't you like it?"

"Well . . . _yeah_. I mean, I've just gotten so used to your short, red hair after all these years, that's all," Alexis replied with a small nod, slowly closing the salon's door and heading to the back, where her business's small employee lounge area was to set down her belongings. "Plus, this is pretty much the biggest hair transformation you've ever done - That I've been aware of, at least. Any sort of change you'd do to your hair usually consisted of pulling it back into a _ponytail_ if you didn't cut it even _shorter_, or putting in a few streaks here and there. I'm honestly impressed with the work, though; it's nice to see that all of those hairstyling tips and lessons I've given you over the years has paid off!"

Lies faintly smirked at this, before passing by the curly haired woman to take a seat upon the black colored couch within the lounge area.

"Yeah, well, you know. I figured, why not? I've always wondered what I'd look like as a blonde . . . _and_ with longer hair, so here it is. It wasn't easy, though, having taken me a pretty long while to finish everything on my own," she said with a light, nonchalant shrug, although her overall demeanor suddenly looked rather uneasy.

At this, Alexis looked up from her purse, after having set it down upon the small coffee table before the new blonde, and smiled warmly before it faded ever so slightly at having then picked up upon the other girl's curious disquiet.

"Oh . . . well, I would have been more than happy to help you with it, you know that. At least _now_ I know where you'd gotten off to so bright and early already this morning. . . . Any . . . particular reason why this couldn't have waited until after work today for me to help you with, or even to have asked me last night, since yesterday had been our day off?"

Alexis already knew that something was up well before Lies had bothered to venture an explanation, _or_ the visible change within her disposition, as the girl had honestly never previously expressed much interest within her hair outside of combing through them with mainly just her fingers, at best.

She just hoped that her young friend would actually be completely forthright with her upon the matter. . . .

Biting her bottom lip momentarily, Lies then let out a slow exhale before bestowing onto Alexis a rather serious stare, which admittedly filled the older woman with immediate discomfort.

". . . . I was . . . honestly hoping that we could have talked about this tonight after work, instead, so then we wouldn't have had to go through the awkwardness which will undoubtedly follow," the shorter young woman began lightly, shakily running a hand through her brand new locks. "But, uh. . . . _God_, I'd been running this scenario through my head over and over all of last night and this morning - Well, for _years_, actually, ever since you'd taken me into your home . . . and now that the time has finally come, I'm honestly at a loss for words. . . ."

Alexis, already fearing the worst but wishing not to let it be known to her friend, lest it make the situation more difficult for her, forced a smile as she rested a comforting hand upon Lies's right shoulder.

"Hey, hey . . . whatever it is you have to tell me, you can. You know that I have never judged you in all this time of knowing you, nor ever will," she spoke softly with reassurance, before slowly taking a seat next to the former redhead. "I honestly won't think any differently of you, Lies. . . ."

Her words did not seem to provide much comfort for the stumbling blonde, for Lies then promptly rose to her feet with a harsh exhale, before moving to the small and only window within that room.

"_Ugh_ . . . yeah, see . . . that's the thing, Alexis. Whether you'd mean or want to, I can honestly say that you _will_ think differently of me after this . . . because the 'me' you've always known this whole time isn't _real_," Lies revealed breathlessly into the window, swallowing hard as she kept her back to her undoubtedly taken aback roommate. "I, uh . . . well, first off, my name _isn't_ 'Lies Doyle.' That's just some random name I'd pulled from off the top of my head in the heat of the moment, on the night that you and I first met. . . . My _real_ name is . . . is Wilhelmina Vandom . . . and I'm also _not_ Canadian at all, but _American_. . . ."

Alexis sharply gasped within alarm at the unexpected news, as the smaller girl before her resiliently kept her back to her, perhaps out of shame.

"I-I . . . I don't understand. . . . I mean, I always knew that there was _definitely_ more to you than meets the eye, and that whatever you were keeping from me was most likely no little thing. . . . But . . . why are you suddenly deciding to come clean with me _now_, and after all this time?" she asked, barely above a whisper, as a part of her already had a strong inkling of the answer.

At this, Lies, or rather, _Wilhelmina_, at last turned back around to face the dark chocolate haired, concerned woman, and sighed heavily.

". . . . Because I'm leaving, Alexis," she replied as delicately as she could, averting her brown eyes for a moment, before returning them onto her visibly crushed boss. "That is . . . I'd honestly never planned on doing all of this in person. . . . I was actually going to just leave you a _letter_ or something, explaining everything, before I just split while you were sleeping or out somewhere, instead. . . .

But I couldn't bring myself to do it. . . . I mean, you've been _so_ good to me and looked after me all this time, without ever once expecting much of _anything_ from me in return, Alexis. . . . And you'd come into my life during a time I'd honestly thought was filled with irreversible darkness and loneliness. . . .

But . . . even though I've settled into this new life of mine, for the _most_ part, at least, and have been . . . happy with you, I suppose . . . I know that I never _really_ can move on and look completely forward, until I go back home and try to make peace about everything. . . . And, I figured, what with my birthday coming up in a couple of days, this would be the per -"

"- W-Wait, _what?_ Your _birthday?_ But, Li – _Wilhelmina_, your birthday _already_ passed back in _September_ . . . or, _did_ it, really?" Alexis interrupted, her head beginning to spin as she struggled to keep up with everything the blonde was steadily revealing to her.

At this, Wilhelmina curiously began to blush, perhaps with added guilt, before slowly shaking her head.

"No . . . it isn't, Alexis. . . . September twentieth is actually . . . my _mother's_ birthday . . . _was_ my mother's birthday," she informed weakly, her voice barely above a whisper as she'd divulged information about her family for the very first time. "_My_ birthday is actually in _January_, instead . . . January nineteenth. . . . And . . . it won't be my _twentieth_, either, but only my _eighteenth_. . . ."

Alexis was absolutely speechless, unsure of what to say or even think at that present moment. She had always yearned for the young woman she'd honestly looked upon as family to finally open up about herself . . . however, now that she _was_, and all at once, it was _far_ too much for Alexis to comprehend.

What could have possibly happened within Wilhelmina's sorted past which would compel her to go to such great lengths to mask away every painstaking detail about her true identity?

Alexis was almost afraid to find out. . . .

". . . . I know all of this must be extremely difficult to understand, and for that, I am sorry, Alexis . . . I _really_ am," Wilhelmina continued on, seeing that the coiled locked woman hadn't any intention of speaking again quite yet. "You deserve to know the truth, and I _wish_ that I could tell you _every_ single last detail . . . but you honestly wouldn't believe me even _if_ I'd bothered. . . .

Suffice it to say, however, that . . . right before I'd met you . . . I'd lost my family . . . I guess you could say primarily as a result of the global disaster we'd all experienced at the time. . . .

And I . . . I was feeling pretty messed up inside then, you know? I didn't know _what_ to do anymore or where to turn. . . . I didn't even have my _friends_ to lean on any longer, either, because they . . . _they_ were lost to me, as well. . . .

The only thing I knew for sure at the time was that I did _not_ want to be shoved into some foster home or something, seeing as I was only sixteen at the time, so I . . . I just _ran_. . . .

I took as much of my personal belongings as I could, and . . . left the only home I'd ever truly known. . . . But . . . I just can't keep allowing myself to be _haunted_ by it all, _or_ by my guilt. I need closure . . . and I think going back for my birthday of all times - Especially when I'm about to enter a new chapter within my life with official adulthood approaching - will be the perfect time for that. . . ."

Momentarily wondering if it also wasn't due to the fact that, soon to be of legal age and therefore untouchable by the court system did not _also_ have to do with Wilhelmina's willingness to return back to the states (although the abrupt change in physical appearance suddenly made a lot more sense, as a clear indication of leftover wariness over the decision), Alexis softly cleared her throat, before at last finding herself able to speak once more.

". . . . Then . . . I'm going _with_ you," she avowed resolutely, not a single doubt over her own decision coursing through her, as she gazed upon the now visibly surprised Wilhelmina with tender understanding.

"_W-What?_ No, Alexis, I can't ask you to do this! _Especially_ since . . . to be honest, I hadn't planned on _returning_. . . . Not after having put you through so much in all these years," the sunlit haired teenager remarked within protest with a fierce shake of her dyed head.

At this, Alexis stood from her place upon the couch, before slowly approaching her young friend. Hesitating for a brief moment, she then swiftly pulled the other girl into a warm embrace, exhaling against her shoulder with palpable emotion.

". . . . I already had a feeling you hadn't any intention of doing so, as well, especially not after revealing all that you have," she began with a faint sob, as her brilliant brown eyes began to cloud over with unshed tears. "I have _always_ had a strong feeling that you had to have gone through something quite traumatic and emotionally jarring, if you felt you had to keep it all to yourself and guard it so well for _so_ many years, too. . . . But . . . I also always knew that one day . . . _one_ day you would let me in about it. . . . And now that you have, I feel that I should be there _with_ you, to help you see this through to the end. After all, I was technically there for you when it all began, and . . . I'd like to be there for you when you finally put your inner pain to rest. . . . I have never _once_ asked anything of you before, so please . . . at least grant me _this_. . . ."

Wilhelmina, who had been alternating between awkwardly shifting within the older woman's enfolded arms, and remaining quite tense, at last snaked her own arms around Alexis, evidently no longer able to withhold her traditionally bottled up emotions.

". . . . Thank you . . . for saying all of that, Alexis," the once crimson haired girl shyly spoke, her breath tickling against the taller woman's bare collarbone. "But, what about work? The salon? Who will watch over everything? And all of those clients you had lined up for the next two weeks _alone_, _never mind_ the rest of this month _and_ the next? I don't honestly know how long this pilgrimage might take. . . ."

Giving Wilhelmina one final squeeze before pulling away from her, Alexis softly chuckled at the overabundance of concern the girl was displaying. It may have been about her career and business on the surface, but Alexis could read in between the lines, and see how much her own personal state of affairs and overall well being truly _did_ mean to the premiere blonde, despite never having ever verbalized it in all of their time together.

It truly warmed Alexis's heart to have realized. . . .

Right when she was about to respond to the younger girl's open concerns, the front door to the hair salon could then be heard being swung open, letting in two of the very individuals Alexis then already had in mind.

"Hello, hello! Good morning, ladies! Sheridan and I brought donuts!"

"Yes, but I told you on the way, Kahleel, that the last time we'd brought some, you and I ended up eating the _majority_ of them! They're my weakness!"

With a tiny smirk shared between Alexis and Wilhelmina over the familiar sound of two of their fellow employees, in addition to their equally familiar playful bickering with one another, the two roommates emerged from the lounge area to properly greet them.

Clearing her throat, Alexis smiled generously as the idea which had already formulated within her mind then trickled from out of her mouth, while a still visibly timid Wilhelmina quietly hung back within the lounge's entranceway.

"Good morning, you two! Say, listen . . . you know how you're always getting after me for a raise? Well, how would you ladies enjoy a _promotion?"_

**- End of Chapter 3**

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(A.N. I love Alexis; she's so understanding…a little TOO understanding, but hey. She has a 'Jesus Heart,' as I like to call people like her. LoL Now I'm sure a few people may come at me with a few inquiries here and there, so let me address the ones I feel may come up: 1, that's Lies as in "Lees," not Lies as in "Lies." It's actually short for Elisabeth, for those not aware. Besides which, I also thought using it, at least spelling wise, would be a nice touch, so to speak, since Will WAS lying the entire time to Alexis, etc. 2, Yes, that was Will, just in case someone somewhere would be confused, impossibly and curiously so. This version of her is a lot more…well, I wouldn't say 'happy.' More like LESS 'I want to go on a rampage and kill the Oracle, and I hate all humanity!' like how she pretty much is in my Tears of Redemption direct sequel. LoL But then, there's always future chapters in here….**

**3, seeing as I've always personally viewed Heatherfield and its scenery to be perhaps somewhere within the state of Maine, if you wanted to place Heatherfield within the U.S. at all, that is, Will somehow ending up in Canada, with the name where Alexis lives being made up, by the way, isn't that farfetched. I just wonder how she'd managed to slip in past the border check, although she could have used her magic for all I know/care. LoL Wonder how she and Alexis will get back out. Meh. LoL**

**And 4, I don't know Will's mother's birthday, and that's just fine with me. So I gave her a September birthday and made both she and Alexis Virgos, because, well, I like Virgos. LoL My mommy's a Virgo, with her nurturing self. HeHe 'Nuff said.**

**Anyway, I still would have liked Mel to come back to finish this up, herself, but I think I'm not doing too bad a job in maintaining her vision and what she'd had in mind for each chapter. Did I mention I want to squeeze Alexis for being so 'Jesus Heart'-ish, there? LoL**

**Yeah! Stay tuned for chapter four, I guess!) **


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